Privacy Policy

Introduction and Commitment

The Bauchi State Judiciary ("Judiciary", "we", "us", "our") is firmly committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and security of the personal data of all users of the Electronic Court System ("E-Court Platform"). We recognise that your personal information is entrusted to us, and we take that responsibility seriously.

This Privacy Policy explains in detail how we collect, use, process, store, share, and protect your personal information when you access or use the E-Court Platform. This policy is issued in compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019 (NDPR), the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPA), and all other applicable data protection and privacy legislation in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

By using the E-Court Platform, you consent to the data practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any aspect of this policy, please discontinue use of the platform immediately.

Information We Collect

In the course of providing our services, we collect the following categories of personal and non-personal information:

2.1 Account and Identity Information

• Full legal name as it appears on official identification documents.
• Email address and telephone number for communication and verification.
• Password (stored exclusively in encrypted/hashed form; we never store plaintext passwords).
• Professional credentials and enrolment number (for legal practitioners).
• Date of birth, gender, residential and office addresses.
• Passport photograph as uploaded during registration or application.

2.2 National Identity Verification

• National Identification Number (NIN) — collected strictly for identity verification purposes in compliance with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act.
• Verification results from NIN validation (name match, photograph match).

2.3 Transaction and Application Information

• Affidavit application details: deponent information, content of sworn declarations, supporting documents.
• Probate application details: deceased person information, estate details, beneficiary information.
• Payment transaction records: amount, payment reference, date, payment gateway used (Paystack, Remita, Bank Transfer).
• Generated receipts, certificates, and document reference numbers.

2.4 Technical and Usage Information

• Internet Protocol (IP) address and approximate geolocation derived from IP.
• Browser type, version, operating system, and device information.
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, navigation patterns, and clickstream data.
• Session identifiers, cookies, and similar tracking technologies.
• Access timestamps and authentication logs.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal grounds as permitted under the NDPR and NDPA:

• Consent: You have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for the specific purposes described in this policy.
• Contractual Necessity: Processing is necessary for the performance of the services you have requested (e.g., processing your affidavit application).
• Legal Obligation: Processing is necessary to comply with our legal obligations under Nigerian law, including record-keeping requirements for court documents.
• Legitimate Interest: Processing is necessary for the legitimate interests of the Judiciary, including platform security, fraud prevention, and service improvement, provided such interests are not overridden by your fundamental rights.
• Public Interest: Processing is necessary for the administration of justice, which is a matter of public interest.

How We Use Your Information

Your personal information is used strictly for the following purposes:

• Processing, reviewing, approving, and issuing affidavits, probate documents, and other court documents as applied for.
• Verifying your identity to prevent fraud and ensure document authenticity.
• Processing payments and generating official electronic receipts.
• Communicating with you regarding the status of your applications, account notifications, and platform updates.
• Maintaining accurate court records as required by law.
• Generating statistical reports and analytics for judicial administration (using anonymised and aggregated data only).
• Detecting, preventing, and responding to security threats, fraud, and unauthorised access.
• Improving the functionality, usability, and reliability of the E-Court Platform.
• Complying with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

Data Storage, Security, and Retention

We implement robust technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Industry-standard encryption (TLS/SSL) for all data transmitted between your device and our servers.
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest within our database systems.
• Password hashing using bcrypt algorithm — passwords are never stored in plaintext.
• Multi-factor authentication (Two-Factor Authentication) available for enhanced account security.
• Role-based access controls ensuring that personal data is accessible only to authorised personnel on a need-to-know basis.
• Regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing.
• Comprehensive audit logging of all administrative and data access activities.

Your data is stored on secure servers hosted within Nigeria. We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Court documents and records are retained in accordance with the records retention schedules prescribed by the Bauchi State Judiciary and applicable Nigerian law.

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise commercially transfer your personal information to any third party. Your data may be shared only in the following limited circumstances:

• Judicial Officers and Court Staff: Authorised judges, magistrates, commissioners of oath, and court registrars who require access to process and approve your applications.
• Payment Service Providers: Approved payment gateways (Paystack, Remita) that process your financial transactions. These providers have their own privacy policies and are bound by data protection agreements.
• Identity Verification Services: The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for NIN verification, conducted through secure API integrations.
• Law Enforcement: Where required by valid court order, subpoena, warrant, or other legally binding request from a competent authority.
• Regulatory Bodies: The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) or other regulatory bodies in the exercise of their statutory functions.

Your Rights Under Nigerian Data Protection Law

Under the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) and the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), you are entitled to the following rights:

• Right of Access: You have the right to request and obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you, along with information about how it is being processed.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Deletion (Right to be Forgotten): You may request the deletion of your personal data where it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. This right is subject to legal retention obligations — court records required to be kept by law cannot be deleted.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You may request restriction of processing of your personal data in certain circumstances, such as when you contest the accuracy of the data.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit that data to another controller.
• Right to Object: You may object to the processing of your personal data for specific purposes, including direct marketing.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) if you believe your data protection rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided at the end of this policy. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

The E-Court Platform uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Maintain your authenticated session while using the platform.
• Remember your language preference and display settings.
• Protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks.
• Collect anonymous usage analytics to improve the platform experience.

You may control cookie settings through your browser preferences. Please note that disabling essential cookies may impair the functionality of the platform, including your ability to log in and process applications.

Children's Privacy

The E-Court Platform is not designed for or directed at individuals under the age of eighteen (18). We do not knowingly collect, process, or store personal information from minors. If we become aware that personal data has been inadvertently collected from a minor without appropriate parental or guardian consent, we will take immediate steps to delete such information from our systems.

International Data Transfers

Your personal data is stored and processed within Nigeria. In the event that any data processing requires transfer of data outside Nigeria (e.g., for cloud infrastructure or payment processing), such transfer shall be conducted in compliance with the NDPR and NDPA requirements, including ensuring that adequate data protection safeguards are in place in the receiving jurisdiction.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

The Bauchi State Judiciary reserves the right to update, amend, or replace this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make material changes, the updated policy will be posted on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Your continued use of the E-Court Platform after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

Data Protection Officer / Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, the handling of your personal data, or wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, please contact:

Data Protection Officer
Bauchi State Judiciary
High Court Complex, Bauchi
Bauchi State, Nigeria
Email: info@justice.bu.gov.ng

We are committed to resolving any concerns you may have about our use of your personal information. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).